Community Agents in Essex – the
use of ASCOT to support impact
measurement
Tricia Capes, Essex County Council
Brian Goodwin, Rural Community Council of Essex
Outline
•
•
•
•
•
•
2
Background to CA
Proving the case
Embedding the measure
Training
Progress and feedback
Next steps
Background and purpose of Community Agents Essex
Community Agents, commissioned by Essex County council, support frail
older people and their informal carers to gain and regain independent
living skills. An agent will visit people in their own home, help them to
identify what it is that needs to change and support them to help
themselves and connect back to community networks.
The scheme is delivered by a partnership of four organisations:
• Rural Community Council of Essex,
• British Red Cross,
• Age UK Essex
• Essex Neighbourhood Watch
Its aim is to provide an alternative solution to traditional social care
support for frail older people and their informal carers and as a result
manage demand into social care.
3
Proving the case
•
As part of the business case it was agreed that there would need
to be a measure of resilience and independence before and after
intervention that could be used to demonstrate impact both
before, and after at 3, 6 and 12 month follow up.
•
It was also desirable to have a measure that could support a
structured conversation (with clear aims and objectives).
•
A review of measures was undertaken and ASCOT was
identified.
4
Proving the case
5
Embedding the measure
• All involved were aware some training
may be needed but there was no
additional money to support the training.
• Set about developing some training in
order to support our 3rd and voluntary
sector partners.
6
The training
1) Starter exercise on measuring impact
2) Background to the measure
3) Exercise – Using the measure where they were asked
to ask each other the measure cold
4) Having a structured conversation
5) Role modelling structured conversation (Practical
example of how to use in a structured conversation
using a pre planned script scenario
6) Exercise – Prompts
7) Ratings exercise:
– This was based on some of the rating examples provided by
ASCOT in their guidance
– This both helped ensure inter-rater reliability and gave people
the opportunity to understand the measure in detail
7
Following the training
• Agents were provided with guidance and an FAQ
pack, which was informed by the questions asked
during the training
• Agents were provided with a template which
included the prompts they had come up with during
the training
• Agents were asked to provide informal feedback and
initial experiences of using ASCOT
8
Progress and initial feedback from agents
Over 650 first visit ASCOT
completed
Definitely useful for having a
structured conversation!
Agent perspective: Lack of
confidence/some embarrassment
to use for closing, with only 34
ASCOTs completed for closed
cases
Client perspective: sometimes
don’t want to do it or think it is
inappropriate
9
Next steps
•
It is a learning process and we are still learning
•
Not quite ready to report follow up data but initial difference
between scores is promising
•
Further review using focus groups, interviews or combination of
both
•
Additional training - possibly addressing the difference between
ascot and goals in more detail
•
Looking at alternative ways ? More time? Fewer cases? Or stop
doing it on all cases?
10
Any questions or comments?
11